PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Woolridge

Publications and source records attributed to M Woolridge.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Breastfeeding: it is worth trying with the second baby.

Mothers who experience breastfeeding difficulties with their first babies and give up breastfeeding are less likely to breastfeed subsequent babies than mothers who do not experience such difficulties. We carried out a longitudinal study of 22 mothers in which milk output was measured at 1 week and 4 weeks after giving birth to their first and second babies. Significantly more breast milk was produced at 1 week for the second lactation (an increase of 31% [95% CI 11-51%]) and the net increase was greatest for those with the lowest milk output on the first occasion (90% [30-149%]). They spent less time feeding their second baby (a decrease of 20% [-34 to -5%]). This increased efficiency of milk transfer was also evident at 4 weeks. Health professionals should encourage women to breastfeed all their children, whatever their experience with their first child.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Interventions for influencing sleep patterns in exclusively breastfed infants.

BACKGROUND: The difference between night and day may be reinforced in young babies by offering a 'focal feed' between 10pm and midnight and gradually lengthening the intervals between night-time feeds by a variety of other activities (such as nappy changing, re-swaddling and walking with the infant). OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to assess the effects of using a structured training programme to teach exclusively breastfed infants to sleep through the night by eight weeks old. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register. SELECTION CRITERIA: Acceptably controlled trials of a structured programme accentuating the difference between night and day compared with no intervention in first time parents of singleton babies, with mothers intending to exclusively breastfeed their infants for at least eight weeks post-partum. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Trial quality was assessed and data were extracted independently by two reviewers. MAIN RESULTS: One trial involving 33 couples was included. More infants in the treatment group were sleeping throughout the night by eight weeks of age than in the control group (odds ratio 0.04, 95% confidence interval 0.01 to 0.21). REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: There is some evidence to show that first time parents using a structured sleeping programme can teach their babies to sleep through the night by eight weeks of age.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed2000

Oxytocin for promoting successful lactation.

BACKGROUND: A rise in the concentration of oxytocin causes contraction of cells around the alveoli and milk ducts, in preparation for suckling. Lactation failure may result from insufficient oxytocin. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this review was to assess the effects of using oral or nasal oxytocin on lactation. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised and quasi-randomised trials of variable doses of oxytocin and different methods of administration versus placebo in breastfeeding women using oxytocin to augment lactation. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Trial quality was assessed and data were extracted by two reviewers. MAIN RESULTS: Four trials of 639 women were included. There was potential for significant bias in these trials. Restricted breastfeeding schedules may have contributed to inadequate production of milk by the participants. Sublingual and buccal preparations of oxytocin were associated with an increase in milk production. Oxytocin did not appear to increase the incidence of breast pain and 100 international units of oxytocin appeared to be slightly more beneficial than 10 international units. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: An appropriate dose of sublingual or buccal oxytocin may help augment lactation where necessary. However if women are encouraged and supported with unrestricted breastfeeding, the need for oxytocin would probably be diminished.

Female↗
PubMed2000

A systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to promote the initiation of breastfeeding.

BACKGROUND: Human breastmilk provides complete nutrition for infants and helps protect against certain childhood diseases. Despite this, rates of initiation of breastfeeding in the UK remain low relative to other countries. In 'Our healthier nation' action report, the government has highlighted the promotion of breastfeeding in order to assist improvements in health and to reduce the health inequalities of mothers and children in the UK. OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this systematic review was to evaluate existing evidence to identify which promotion programmes are effective at increasing the number of women who start to breastfeed. In addition, the review aimed to assess the impact of such programmes on the duration and/or exclusivity of breastfeeding and the intermediate and process outcomes. Where the strength and quality of the evidence permitted, the review aimed to identify implications for practice within the UK and priority areas for future research. METHODS DATA SOURCES: A range of electronic databases were searched from inception to November 1998, several relevant journals were hand-searched, and references of retrieved papers were examined. Relevant experts, organisations and lay groups were contacted to help identify further published or unpublished material. Additionally, an expert panel was consulted. SELECTION CRITERIA: Four types of criteria were used to select eligible studies for this review: STUDY DESIGN - randomised controlled trials (RCTs), non-RCTs with concurrent controls, and before-after studies (cohort or cross-sectional). PARTICIPANTS - pregnant women, mothers in the immediate postpartum period before the first breastfeed, any participant linked to pregnant women or new mothers, or any participant who may breastfeed in the future, or be linked to a breastfeeding woman in the future. INTERVENTIONS - any type of intervention designed to promote the uptake of breastfeeding was included; control groups could receive an alternative breastfeeding promotion programme or standard care. OUTCOMES - the primary outcome was initiation of breastfeeding; secondary outcomes (duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding) were included if initiation was reported in the same study; intermediate and process outcomes were also included, and need not necessarily be associated with reported initiation rates. DATA EXTRACTION AND VALIDITY ASSESSMENT: Data were extracted into structured tables. All included studies were checked against a comprehensive methodological checklist. Different checklists were used for RCTs, non-RCTs and before-after studies. Data extraction and validity assessment were independently checked by a second reviewer. DATA SYNTHESIS: The studies were grouped according to intervention type, and were combined using a narrative synthesis. For individual RCTs and non-RCTs reporting initiation of breastfeeding, relative risks with associated 95% confidence intervals were estimated, with calculations performed on an intention-to-treat basis where possible. Pooling of relative risks was considered inappropriate owing to the lack of similarity across the studies. RESULTS: A total of 59 studies met the selection criteria, comprising 14 RCTs, 16 non-RCTs and 29 before-after studies. Interventions were grouped into the following categories: health education, health sector initiatives (HSI) - general, HSI - Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), HSI - training of health professionals, HSI - US Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), HSI - social support from health professionals, peer support, media campaigns, multifaceted interventions. In many cases, studies were dissimilar in terms of the type of intervention(s), participants and the definitions of outcomes. Methodological problems of some studies also limited interpretation of findings. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed1993

Nursing frequency and the energy intake from breast milk and supplementary food in a rural Thai population: a longitudinal study.

A group of 60 infants representative of a rural Thai population were studied longitudinally over the first year of life. Their breast milk intake, supplementary food intake and nursing patterns were measured for 2 consecutive days at about 15, 45, 90, 180, 270 and 360 days of age. For the sample as a whole, the estimated peak value for energy intake from breast milk was 529 kcal (2213 kJ) and occurred at 34 days post-partum. Thereafter milk intake declined, with 40% of infants fully weaned by the end of the first year. Supplements were introduced early, with 15% of infants supplemented by 2 weeks and 68% by 6 weeks. Higher levels of supplementation were associated with lower breast milk intake. In addition there was an independent positive effect of nursing patterns (number of breast feeds per day). Interaction terms show that both supplementary feeding and number of feeds have quantitatively different effects at different ages: breast milk intake varies more with level of supplementation in younger infants than in older infants, and varies more with number of feeds in older infants than in younger infants. Higher peak levels of breast milk intake were followed by a steeper decline, and infants who took more breast milk at 15 days were more likely to be fully weaned by their first birthday.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

The Chiang Mai lactation project: study design and implementation.

The Chiang Mai lactation project is a longitudinal field study of human lactation carried out among northern Thai women living in the Sanpatong area of Chiang Mai Province. Its aim was to measure the volume and composition of breast milk transferred from mothers to their infants in the first year postpartum, and to relate it to predictors of milk production, and to the growth of the child. Breast milk and supplementary food intake, and nursing patterns, were recorded over two consecutive 24-hour periods six times during the first year. Samples of breast milk and of supplementary foods were analysed for energy and protein. Supplementary foods were also analysed for bacterial contamination. The growth of the child was measured, and health assessed using a combination of health diaries and examination by a physician. Recruitment to the study was excellent. After recruitment, two subjects left the study area, but otherwise only two dropped out, so complete sets of data covering these variables are available for 58 of the 62 recruited subjects.

Body Weight↗
PubMed1979

Sucking patterns of human babies on the breast.

Twenty-seven 5--8-day-old babies were filmed during normal breast feeding (one feed each). Sucking patterns were determined from the film from a total sample of 17,676 sucks. Intersuck interals fell on two distributions: one of intervals between sucks during bursts of sucking (1.3 sec and less), and the other of rests between bursts of sucking (1.3 to greater than 12 sec). As the milk flow dropped towards the end of the feed on each breast, the sucking rate within bursts increased (P less than 0.05), but there were more (P less than 0.001) and longer (P less than 0.001) rests between bursts of sucking. This study provides normative data on a normal population for use in studies of breast feeding.

Breast Feeding↗